Trailer coupler



P 1943- c. c. KITTERMAN 2,330,125

TRAILER COUPLER I Filed Dec. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet i p 21, 1943- c. c. KITTERMAN 2,330,125

TRAILER COUPLER Filed Dec. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a I l/ Q $6 a trailer, or piece of artillery drawn by said tractor.

My improved coupler comprises a coupling 'element l2 which is preferably in the form of a plate I3 having an opening l4 for receiving a pin I5 by means of which the said plate is pivotally mounted on one end of the frame In to swing about said pivot in a horizontal plane and through an angle of substantially 180. The free end of the plate is provided with a separated pair 'of guide devices 16 which are curved outwardly and rearwardly from their inner ends and having the upper surfaces of their inner ends proplace, then the operator elevates the latch 32,

vided with what I shall term coupling recesses" 11, said recesses being adapted to support a coupler rod |8 when coupling is accomplished, said recesses being of a depth greater than one-half the diameter of the rod, the said rod 8 being advanced in the free ends of the yoke 9 having at its bight a rearwardly extending pivot member rotatably mounted in a bearing 2| fixed on the trailer frame providing means whereby theyoke I3 may be rotated relative to the frame when coupling is accomplished to permit the,

frame to be-rotated relative to the frame l0 about a horizontal and a longitudinal axis, a nut 22 being provided for retaining the member 20 in position.

For lockingthe rod IS in the grooves I1 I have provided what 'I shall term a hook 23 to be mounted on the shaft 24, supported transversely between the members 6, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5, the hook being adapted to swing from the open position illustrated in Figure 2 to a closed position as illustrated'in Figure 5, the said hook being provided with a lug 25 arranged to extend above the guide IS in its open position, as illustrated in Figure 2, so as to beengagedby the rod H? as the said rod I8 is moved forwardly and over the top of the guide IS in such a manner as torotate the hook to its closedposition with the hook embracing said rod as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2, so as to provide means forautomatically closingv the hook as the rodis movedto coupling position. p

' The plate I3 is provided with upwardly, extending flanges 26 supporting a transversely arranged shaft 21 on which a cover plate 28 ispivotally mounted, said plate having at each edge a downwardly extending flange 29 said flanges having formed in their lower edges notches 3|l to be supported over the upper end of the recesses I1 and to provide closures therefor when the said cover plate is swung to its closed position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 5. This cover plate also serves to hold the rod [8 in couplingpos ition. I ,t

Pivotally mounted in the free end of the cover plate is a latch bar3| having a latch 32 adapted to engage the latch device 33 carried by thehook 23-when the hook and the said cover plate are in their closed position, as illustrated in Figure 5, thus providing means whereby the cover plate is latched to closed position and the hook 23 is also latched to closed position, the latch bar 3| being formed comparatively heavy so that it will be returned to its closed position by gravity.

The forward end of the latch bar 3| is provided with a slot 34 for receiving a set screw 35 which,

is mounted in the forward end of the covered plate and provides means for limiting theupward' movement of the latch, and also means for lifting the cover plate after the latch has been moved to its open position, the latch being provided with a pair of flange 36 between which is mounted a pin 31 for receiving a link 38 of a lifting chain 33, wherein the latch may be released in any desired remote position.

To facilitate uncoupling of the rod I8 from the recesses I1 I have provided on the pivoted end of the cover plate a lug 40 having what I shall term a primary elevator 4| and a secondary elevator 42, the primary elevator 4| being supported beneath the free end 43 of the hook 23 when the coupler is in its closed position. By this arrangement it will be seen that if coupling has been accomplished, as illustrated in Figure 5, and it is desired to permit uncoupling to take releasing it from the latch 33, after which the 28 to be elevated; and the primary elevator 4| to engage the under surface of the member 33, causing the said member also to be elevated, together withthe free end of -the lug 26, and in turn the rod|8fto be'lifted out of the recesses 1. Further movement of thejcover plate would then cause the secondary ,elevator 42 to engage the under surface of the'lug'25, as illustrated by .dotted lines in Figure 2, to hold the wa t inelevatedpositi on at the time the elevator 4| disengages the member 43. Uncoupling may then be completed simply by moving the tractor I frame away from the trailer frame. The rod; l8 will then move rearwardly and downwardly over the guides |6, carrying the hook 33 to the open position illustrated inFigure 2, whichhook will then rest on a rod 44 carried by the members I6. The coverplate 28 may then beleft in its open position as illustrated in Figure 2, if so desired, until; it is again desired to couple the tractor and trailer frames together. If the said cover plate is left in itsopen position, coupling is accomplished by causing the member It to engage theguides I 6 and be moved upwardly there,

over asthe frame- Ibis moved towardthe frame I causing the hook-23 to be moved to the dotted line position in Figure2, with the lug 25 resting onthe secondary eleyator 42; The weight of the red I 8 movingforwardly on; said lug 25 will move the secondaryelevator downwardly and at thesame time swing the upper end of the cover plate rearwardly until the rod |8 rests on the member 42, causing the completion of said rearward movement of the cover plate, after which the weight of the said platewill complete its closing action and the latchingaction between the members 32 and' 33. However, it is oftentimes desirable to :throw the cover platetoits closed position at such times as uncoupling is accome plished, for the purpose of preventing the recesses I1 from becoming filled with ice or mud as the tractor is moved from one position to, the other, with the hook in the position shown in Figure 2. Coupling may then be accomplished bymoving the rod |8 to position on the guides I6, as illustrated in Figure l, with the said rod |8 engaging the lug 25, which in turn will engage the curved surface of the plate 28, causing said plate to be elevated, after which the free end 43 of the hook 33 will also engage said curved surface 45, causing the said cover plate to be further elevated with the rod l8 entering the space between the members 4| and 42, said rod |8 then entering thefrecesses IT, with the covered plate falling actionmay take-:placaautomaticallitwithont:any attention ofithei operatorsasz tozthe; position of the coupling eiementspr thellatchinggdevicesz with the: exception; Qfi course,-..thatvthe members leash-ciliav be= anpnoximatelygin .1 alignment with the:- yoke 1.8;. the outer..- edges ot cti'le -membersalzii being curved; inwardly so-:asz-iio provide means for steering the yoke I6 laterally to a certain extent. as coupling takeaplace.

The top end of the hook 23 is provided with'a grooved segment 46 projecting upwardly through an opening 4'! in the cover plate and provides additional means for locking the cover plate in position, 'if so desired, by simply inserting through the slot 4! a suitable key, not illustrated.

The side arms of the yoke H! are of such length as to permit the bight of the yoke-to swing down over the ends of the guides l6, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5, so as to increase the angularity of the swing of the frame H about the rod l8 as a center. By this arrangement it will be seen that said frame may swing substantially through an angle of substantially 180 in a horizontal plane, while the frame H is free to swing about the pivot 20 as an axis through an angle of 360, so thatif the trailer should become upset, the danger of injury. to the coupling due to twisting or pivotal movements between the tractor and the trailer frame, will be eliminated.

In Figures 6 and 'lI have illustrated the coupler applied to a truck of the type used in connection with a semi-trailer, in which is usually employed a fifth wheel 58 which is pivotally mounted on the truck about a vertical axis, the coupler being provided with comparatively long guides i511 which overhang the said fifth wheel,

the coupler being proportionately wider so that the rod I 8 will permit the supporting arms Ila of the semi-trailer 49 to straddle the guides Ito and wherein the fifth wheel, being of comparatively large diameter, will increase the lateral stability of the trailer l9. The chain 39 may be located in such a manner that it may be actuated from within the cab of the truck wherein .coupling and uncoupling may be accomplished elements being so arranged as to firmly clamp.

the couplers together so that a comparatively small amount of lost motion exists and wherein rattling and unnecessary noise are eliminated, the coupling elements being protected against the elements of the weather so that at all times coupling may be easily and quickly accomplished and so arranged that uncoupling may be easily accomplished either in case of an upset of eitherthe tractor or trailer frame.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a coupler element, having a transverse coupling recess, a second coupler element including a coupling rod adapted to rest in said recess when the coupling is accomplished, a hook for retaining thecoupling rod within said recess, a pivoted cover plate adapted to move closing: said; coupling; elementsswhem coupled: meansafori latching saidieover-plate a-ndi hook to closed. positions, and means actuatedxbyimoyee mentofi the. cover plate-from:.olosedtposition to open position. forautomatic-allyl lifting' said'gc one plin'g; I'Od,01 l.fi';0f said notchxandi fonireleasing hook; Y i f I ",3 3.1.51 The combination of? a: tractorfiuiine, a tnailern frame, a, coupler element: 'i'hSli'fOIE- ward end pivotally connected to said tractor frame to swing about a vertical axis, said element having a transverse coupler recess and a rearwardly and downwardly extending guide,

said second coupler element having ayoke pivotally mounted therein to swing about a horizontal and longitudinal axis and a transversecoupler rod to pivotally rest in said recess to couple said frames together, a hook pivotally supported in the first coupler element to retain the rod in said recess, means actuated by movement of said coupler rod to coupling position I for automatically closing said hook, means for latching said hook to closed position, a cover plate having one end pivoted to the first coupling element, a latch carried by the free end of said coverplate for simultaneously latching said cover plate and said hook to closed.position, and means for releasing said latch.

3. The combination of a tractor frame, a trailer frame, a coupler element having its forward end pivotally connected to said tractor frameto swing about a vertical axis, said elementhaving a transverse coupler recess and a rearwardly and downwardly extending guide, said second coupler element having a yoke pivotally mounted therein to swing about a horizontal and longitudinal axis and a transverse coupler 'rod to pivotally rest in said recess to couple said frames 'together, a hook pivotally supported in the first coupler element to retain the rod in said recess, means actuated by movement of said coupler rod to coupling position for automatically closing said hook, means for latching said hook,

, to closed position, a cover plate having one end pivoted to the first coupling element, a latch carried by the free end of said cover platefor simultaneously latching said cover plate and said hook to closed position, means for releasing said latch, means for moving said cover plate to open position, and means actuated by the opening movement of said cover plate for lifting said coupler rod out of said notch to accomplish said coupling by movement of the coupler elements one from the other. t

4. The combination of a coupler element having a coupler recess and a guide device, a second coupler element, including a coupler rod adapted to ride said guide and to enter said recess for moved toward each other, a hook'supported by the first coupler element for retaining said coupler rod in said recess a cover plate pivoted to said first coupler element to swing from'an upright open position to a horizontal closed position, means carried by the cover plate for latching said cover plate and said hook simultaneously to closed position, and means actuated by from': an: open positiomto ai .closedarposition en-i to open position as the coupler rod is moved to 10 uncoupled position, said cover being adapted to be moved to closed position with the said hook in its open position, and :means actuated by means of movement of said coupler rod to coupling position within said recess for closing said hook and for moving said cover plate to position to permit the coupling rod to enter said recess.

CARL C. KITTERMAN. 

